Many very experienced fly fishermen prefer to cast out their lines and then retrieve, or pull, them in again. By controlling the speed and manner in which they pull the line, they can make the fly move through the water in a certain way. The movements of different insects can be imitated and this leads to fish responding to the artificial fly. However, trolling is also often used. Trolling flies can be very successful and is a good way to start out.

There are certain advantages to trolling:

• you can use whatever gear you already have
• it allows you to use your flies and have fun before you have learned to fly cast or retrieve
• it allows a fisherman to explore a lake while fishing and find out where the "hot spots" are

Of course you need some kind of water craft that you can move. Besides a boat or canoe, many fishermen like float tubes or pontoon boats. If you want to know more about these, check out your public library or your local fishing shop.

Trolling with an open-faced spinning reel and rod:

This is a fine way to start. It also gives you time to collect your fly fishing gear a bit at a time (through birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, and with money earned by doing odd jobs).

The Set-up

Most spinning reels have 10 lb test line on them. This is a bit stiff, It doesn't allow the fly to move freely. Also the finer the line, the less obvious it is to the fish. However, you do not need to change your line. All you have to do is purchase the following:

• Swivels and Weights: When at the sporting goods shop, explain what you will be using them for. The clerk will be able to recommend the right sizes for this setup.

• Lighter Line: You can buy lighter line that is called tippet material. Something in the 5 - 6 lb range is fine. Regular 6 lb fishing line will also do.

For gear set-up, refer to the illustration. Tie on a swivel at the end of your line. Then attach about 60 cm of lighter line or tippet material. At the end of this tie on your fly. Above the swivel attach some weight.

If you need to learn how to tie a knot properly Click Here. Pay attention to the improved cinch knot

Amount of Weight

How much weight depends on how deep you want to go. You have to consider:

• how deep is the water where you are trolling? You don't want to get hung up on the bottom.

• what time of the year is it? Early in the Spring, when the weather is still cool, the fish may be closer to the surface. Later in the warmth of Summer, the fish tend to stay deeper in the lake.

• what insect activity do you notice? See the various aquatic foods discussed on this site.
• Are there any fish rises that you notice? If the fish are active near the surface, try to see what kind of foods they are after. Tie on a fly that represents this and only put on a little weight.

Generally speaking, a good starting point is getting your fly to where most of the fish food hangs out: near the bottom of the shoal area.

You need to be ready to experiment! Try different depths and flies until you achieve success. Be persistent and don't give up! Fish tend to go into feeding frenzies. Suddenly they'll be biting and after awhile this fades away. Then you need to patiently wait for the next "bite".

Where to Troll

See the Lake Profile illustration in the section "Our Lakes". Click Here. Study what is meant by the shoal and drop-off areas. A good place to start trolling is along the drop off area. Fish like this area because the drop-off area is between the shoal and deep water. The shoal area contains much aquatic insect life which provides food for them. The deep water, on the other hand, provides protection from predators such as eagles and ospreys. You can tell if you are over the drop off because the colour of the water changes. As the depth increases, the water becomes darker.

In early Spring, try trolling very close to the shore. In the Summer do not hesitate to try trolling up the middle of the lake. Again, be ready to experiment. It also helps to get a bathymetric map of a lake. These maps show the various depths of a lake. In advance you can find the various drop-offs and go there. Sometimes these are right where you least expect them. There are websites which display these maps. (http://www.anglersatlas.com) You can also purchase them from map stores. You can also phone your local Ministry of the Environment office and ask if they have any of these maps for local lakes.

How Much Line to Let Out

When letting the line out, it is a good idea to speed up the boat a bit. This makes things easier and speeds up the process. Once finished slow the boat right down again.

To start the process, open up the bail wire on your open faced reel. Let some line out so the weighted part is behind the boat. Now grab hold of the line near the reel. Straighten out your arm pulling the line with it. Let the line go and allow it to straighten out behind the boat. Do this about 25 times. Once done give the reel a turn and the bail wire will click back into place.

Make sure the drag on the reel is properly adjusted. You should, with some effort (not too much effort though), be able to pull line off the reel without lifting the bail wire. This will keep the line from breaking if you hook up with a big fish.

How to Troll

Aquatic insects move slowly. Therefore your fly needs to be trolled very slowly. Also these critters often move erratically. they will dart, stop, move to the side, and go up or down a bit. So when trolling, try changing around the speed and direction of your boat. In a boat or canoe, oars or paddles used in a certain way will cause an erratic type of movement in the fly. This can bring extra success.

The only exception to the above trolling method is when you are trolling a baitfish imitation (a fly tied to represent a fry or small fish). Then you need to speed up somewhat since little fish, which you are imitating, move quicker than insects.

Hooking and Bringing in the fish

When trolling flies you need to be patient. If a fish nibbles, don't be eager to set the hook. When the tugs are constant and the rod is bending, then pull back on the rod to really set the hook. If you do it too soon, you'll just pull the hook out and scare the fish away.

When reeling the fish in, crank the reel as long as the fish will swim toward you. When it gets stubborn, wait it out. You must however always keep tension on the line. The rod should always have a bend in it.

Once the fish is by the boat you must act quickly whether you are keeping the fish or letting it go. If keeping the fish, net it and club it immediately so it won't suffer. If you want to let the fish go, you should handle the fish carefully. See the Catch and Release portion of the Stewardship section for details. Click Here.

Trolling with Fly Fishing Gear

This website focuses mostly on the very basic beginner skills required. To properly deal with the fly fishing gear end of the sport would require a huge discussion. There are many books that cover that topic thoroughly. They can be easily found in the public library. Also your local fishing shop can help you make the right selections and show you how to set things up. You can also get instructions on how to properly "play" the fish either "off the reel" or by "stripping it in". What follows assumes you are at least basically familiar with fly fishing gear.

A beginner fly fisher usually can only afford to buy one line at a time. If you have bought a floating line and plan to troll with it, you will probably need to add weight. This will then take your fly below the surface. Do not hesitate to put lead weight on the leader where it joins the fly line. Again you may need to experiment to find out how much is just right.

If you own a sinking line, It will do just fine most of the time. If, in the Summer, you want to go even deeper, again add a little weight. It is not a good idea, however, to try and cast your fly line if you have attached any weight.

When letting line out, make sure you have pulled all the fly line off the reel. All that will be left on your reel is the backing. Now you can make adjustments. If you want to go deeper, let some of the backing out too. If you want the fly closer to the surface, reel some line in. Other than the equipment, the trolling method is the same whether using spinning gear or fly fishing gear.

Besides reading books or talking to sales clerks, there is another resource to help further learn this sport. Most places have a fly fishing club. These clubs usually have lots of members that are only too willing to share and help out those just beginning.